The invention relates to a roll-over yoke for a motor car.
A roll-over yoke is described in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 19 38 588 which is produced from high-alloy heat-treated steel, and which, due to the poor weldability dictated by the material, is gripped positively at each member by a bracing structure and is connectable by the latter to the vehicle.
In order to achieve this positive connection, it is necessary in this case for the members to be conically deformed by upsetting.
Bracing structures capable of use in the same sense are known from German Utiity Model 75 36 497 and from German Utility Model 75 04 021, which are formed from half-shells which require to be screwed to the support profile, whereby the load capacity of the latter is reduced.
An object of the invention is to construct a roll-over yoke with high strength and low weight and to mount the same on the motor car body.
The support tube can be produced with a small diameter and from high-tensile heat-treated material, the favorable material properties of which are aslo fully retained in the fastening, whereby high bracing reliability of the roll-over yoke when motor car overturns is achieved. Due to its positive connection to the half-shells, the support tube transmits the forces acting into the latter, which in turn transmit them into the motor car body.
The positive connection is particularly intimate. In preferred embodiments where the half-shells form a hollow profile having the cross-sectional dimensions of the support tube.
According to a certain preferred embodiments, the production of the half-shells from weldable material presents a plurality of advantages because the positive connection of the support tube to the half shells proceeds rapidly and may also be performed by automatic welding machines, and the resulting thermal stresses result in an additional frictional engagement between the parts to be connected, whereas a welding flange which is preferably oriented between the inner arc and the outer arc of the support tube occupies a favorable position against the weld seam breaking open under load.
According to the certain preferred embodiments, the half-shells likewise serve to increase the deformation strength of the support tube and to effect the mounting of the support tube advantageously on the motor car body.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.